Black History Month has its critics, but Chalice Overy isn’t one of them. Overy, associate pastor at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., said the focus on Black heroes and accomplishments every February growing up prepared her for being…
Pay attention to what’s happening in Myanmar, Baptist pastors plead
Current and former refugees from Myanmar welcome the political pressure bearing down on the nation’s military since it staged a coup against a democratically elected government Feb. 1. But much more pressure is needed, they say. “I am very disturbed…
On religious liberty views and other issues, there’s still a wide gap between evangelicals and the rest of America
If recent surveys of religious beliefs and practices have revealed anything, it’s that white evangelicals are out of step with the rest of the nation on just about every social and political measure. “White evangelicals are just on another planet,…
Church leadership series offers help finding resilience required to navigate change
Church leaders in denial that change is inevitable got a wakeup call during the coronavirus outbreak. “The pandemic has made it so that now everybody is paying attention” to change, said Tod Bolsinger, executive director of the Fuller Depree Center’s…
At Baptist college in Virginia, a disagreement over athletes kneeling during National Anthem
Bluefield College, a Baptist-affiliated school in Virginia, suspended its men’s basketball team for one game this month after players failed to heed administration warnings against kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustice. Media reports and statements from the…
Majority of Americans believe race relations have worsened in last four years
Most Americans say race relations took a significant hit during the past four years, and almost a quarter believe clergy have failed to exert a positive influence on the trend, new research shows. “Fewer Americans believe our nation has made…
UCC seminary in Minnesota calls Marshall as interim president
A United Church of Christ seminary in Minnesota has named Baptist theologian and educator Molly Marshall as its interim president beginning March 1. That’s one year to the day from when Marshall stepped down as president of Central Baptist Theological…
Church curriculum publishers experience reduced sales due to COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt serious setbacks to many faith-based organizations, and the publishers of Sunday school and other spiritual formation curricula are no exception. For many of them, regardless of denomination, the shuttering of church buildings and other meeting spaces…
Baylor prof leads innovative team working to disrupt human trafficking
Criminal justice experts and academics, including a Baylor University professor, are teaming up to provide a technological edge to the law enforcement battle against human trafficking. Stacie Petter, professor of information systems and business analytics at Baylor, is part of…
New director of BWAid steps in as global needs arise
When the Baptist World Alliance last month named Marsha Scipio director of its global aid organization, BWAid, it said her job would be to respond to people suffering in times of crisis by networking with other agencies to boost sustainability…
Black church important antidote to social despair caused by white supremacy
The Black church in America plays a crucial role in empowering its congregants amid the reality of white supremacy that causes a growing number of Black Americans to feel insecure, new research finds. Despite the election of Raphael Warnock as…
Update: Virginia House joins Senate in voting to eliminate death penalty
Death penalty opponents are celebrating another milestone in Virginia, where the House of Delegates approved a bill Feb. 5 to abolish capital punishment in the state. The 57-41 vote followed the Senate’s 21-17 passage of an identical measure on Feb….